Coco Gauff earns Serena Williams' ex-coach's support for "fighting through adversity" to win China Open 2024 title
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs lauded Coco Gauff following the former World No. 2 rediscovering her finest form at the recently-concluded 2024 China Open. After a series of disappointing tournaments, Gauff looked back to her best in Beijing, where she powered her way through to win the second WTA 1000 title of her career.
There was significant concern surrounding Coco Gauff's form ahead of the China Open. The 20-year-old had a dismal North American summer hardcourt swing and was particularly poor during her shock fourth-round loss to compatriot Emma Navarro at the US Open, where she was the defending champion. This defeat saw Gauff dropping out of the top five in the WTA Tour rankings.
Soon after her Flushing Meadows disappointment, Coco Gauff decided to split with iconic coach Brad Gilbert and start from scratch. The fresh approach paid dividends in Beijing, where the 20-year-old reached the final. On her way there, Gauff defeated two former top 10 players Naomi Osaka (third round) and Paula Badosa (semifinals). The incredibly talented and crafty Karolina Muchova, another former Top 10 star, awaited Gauff in the final.
However, what was widely expected to be a tight final turned out to be completely one-sided, as Coco Gauff made the most of her incredible athleticism and won the match 6-1, 6-3. It was the 20-year-old's first WTA Tour-level title since she won the ASB Classic in Auckland at the beginning of the season. It also helped her climb back up the rankings to World No. 4.
On Sunday, October 6, Rennae Stubbs, the former Australian player who served as Serena Williams' coach for her 2022 US Open campaign, took to X (formerly Twitter) and congratulated Coco Gauff. According to Stubbs, Gauff's Beijing title triumph was a reflection of the 2023 US Open champion's desire to bounce back to form.
"Huge congratulations to Coco Gauff on an incredible week of fighting thru adversity & showing us all how well she can play tennis," Stubbs wrote.
The former doubles No. 1 went on to congratulate Karolina Muchova as well, predicting that the Czech will soon become a top 10 player again.
"Massive congrats also to Karolina Muchova! Wrist surgery a little over 6 months ago & is back in the top 30, won’t be long before she’s top 10 again," Stubbs added.
Interestingly, Stubbs was one of Gauff's most vocal critics following her abject exit from the 2024 US Open, going so far as to call out the 20-year-old in front of her then-coach, Brad Gilbert.
Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs lambasted Coco Gauff's serve technique after disastrous end to her US Open 2024 campaign
Coco Gauff endured one of her most miserable outings in recent times in the fourth round of the 2024 US Open against Emma Navarro. The 20-year-old hit 19 double faults during the 3-6, 6-4, 3-6 defeat, with her unforced error tally hitting an alarming 60. It became quite clear throughout the contest that the serve had become a major chink in Gauff's armor.
In the aftermath of the result, Rennae Stubbs, who was covering the hardcourt Major as an ESPN analyst, slammed Gauff's service technique. Brad Gilbert, the 20-year-old's coach at the time was physically present in front of Stubbs, listening somewhat awkwardly to her critique.
"There's no second serve, that's the sign. And that's a problem. So under pressure, bad technique breaks down and her technique is...hard for me to say because Brad [Gilbert] is sitting here...but her technique, the elbow, is too low, the grip is a little weird as well. So it's hard for her to get that nice first serve and then the same or similar second serve," Stubbs said.
Stubbs later admitted that it was difficult for her to be completely honest about the evident weaknesses in Coco Gauff's game in front of Gilbert. Now though, with Gauff having won the China Open under the guidance of new coach Matt Daly, there is renewed hope that the former World No. 2 can end the season on a high. The 20-year-old's next outing is set to be at the Wuhan Open, another WTA 1000 event.